I had to rearrange my moon garden this year as I needed more white flowers to be in bloom at the same time. So I took out some short blooming perennials and added some annuals. I still will have to do some more thinking and regrouping so the white flowers are not so sparse. Any suggestions for long flowering white flowering perennials that are hardy to Zone 6.
Your moon garden is sooo pretty set among the trees like that... I bet it pops at night!
My snow hill salvia has been in bloom all season. I cut it back once & it popped back quickly.
artemesia is silvery,... It may be too big or unruly tho. & the root of powis castle, was deep, even in clay soil.
Love your moon garden-it's beautiful! I can envision some taller white spike flowers among your mix, like digitalis or larkspur. Most forms of digitalis are biennial, but reseed. Larkspur is annual and often reseeds as well. Various white lilies would be lovely there too.
southernOhio - Snow Hill Salvia sounds like it may be a good choice. I planted some white reed grass in the back of the garden that someone gave me. Can't wait till it grows tall. The moon garden in the evening is beautiful and very fragrant especially when the white Daturas are in bloom.
It is located just outside the walk-out basement on the side of our house. I do love to sit there at night.
Gemini - I haven't had good luck with larkspur but digitalis may work. I do have lilies but they don't last that long. When I first planted the garden, I planned wrong and all the plants didn't flower at the same time so it looked sparse most of the time. The addition of some annuals helped. I do have Bear's Breeches on the far left. It is kind of hard to see in the picture. The white rose of sharons are ready to come into bloom and that will help. But I would like to see it flowering all season.
Moonlit........ I think your best bet would be a mixture of perennials and annuals. There aren't many perennials that have a real long bloom time...at least not most of the summer. Annuals can fill in for that . One I might suggest is white Cleome..or spider flower. Just an annual but a long bloom time. Also what about Daisies? If you deadhead them..they will bloom pretty long. Also white geraniums? Another annual. Just some thoughts.
I think your garden is in a very lovely setting. I would love sitting there!
I have another white one I'd like to suggest... the White Bleeding Heart??
Your garden is stunning!!
Dusty
Hi, I am new here and have been reading threads to become familiar with forums. I have always wanted to do a moon garden myself. I might suggest the Echinacea "White Swan". I added one this year and I am finding I like it more & more. It has a honey scent also, which adds something. I hope to get a Fragrant Angel to add later. I am an Echinacea addict. Got the Big Sky Series also this spring. Love them!!!!
Love all the pics posted, so beautiful! My mantra is "to many plants not enough room"!
I love Humming Birds also, so plant for them as well.
Hi Nanny_56!! Welcome!! I agree with your mantra...lol!! Except I have the room...but not enough hands to do the work!!
BTW...where is Lebanon, IN? I live in Ohio but near Richmond, IN. Anywhere close?
Marcy
Lebanon IN is approx. 25 northwest of Indianapolis. I couldnt' really figure what area forum to go to but we are pretty much the same zone (I think!!!). And the people on this one and the one about wildlife seem like nice & friendly ! I keep telling my husband doesn't matter how much space we ever have... not enough.....lol!!!!!!!!!!! We live in housing edition right now , real small lot. Looking to buy another home in next year with at least 1 acre. Want to have mixed beds plus some special areas for the things I especially love to have several varieties. But, I think Richmond is like an hour or so northeast from us.
So glad to meet you Marcy ...and all of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Moonlit-
Beautiful garden!
Some ideas for white flowers:
Moonflowers - grow as vine within a bush that blooms earlier. It looks like the bush is blooming again with moonflowers. This can also be done with clematis.
Clematis sweet autumn - long blooming - end summer to frost
Echinacea White Swan - blooms several weeks, early to mid summer
achillea baby's breath or ballerina - blooms for 4 weeks, late spring
Boltonia snow bank -blooms late summer - fall
Lysimachia Lady Jane - this is expand but it is beautiful and blooms for several weeks , early-mid summer
physostegia_missmanners - this is a well-behaved obedient plant; blooms mid summer.
penstemon_canescens - blooms for 4 weeks early-mid summer.
lychnis coronaria alba - blooms for 4 weeks early-mid summer
chrysanthemum leucanthemum - this self seeds, beware, blooms for 4 weeks early-mid summer
chrysanthemum x superbum - blooms for 3weeks mid summer
Also there are some beautiful variegated plants:
carex, lamium, hellebore, heuchera 'snow angel';
If you are willing to grow some tropicals in pots there are several variegated elephant ears and canna.
Take care, ROX
oh the clematis is an excellent suggestion as well as the obvious varigated plants.... good thinking!
I have wanted to see the boltonia in person, it does look nice.
I have to say whoa on the leucanthemum... It is a daisy & long bloomer, but for a small garden, you better watch out.
I just found this (interesting) thread and love your white flower garden around your patio, Moonlit. It must be a real pleasure to sit there and enjoy a glass of wine in the evening.
Not being at all familiar with the 'moon garden' theme, I googled and learned a little about white and pale flowers, many that bloom at night (which you already know, I'm sure, with your DG name, and all). This aspect is totally fascinating to me and I know nothing about it, so of course, I found several sites, and now I realize it can be about gardening by the phases of the moon, 'mother earth' about magick--themes that can really challenge the gardener's creativity too!
And just to throw in my two cents on possible plants, you could try the white Allium nigrum which blooms fairly late in the season and long. And clematis 'silver moon' for a pot or hanging basket. Also white buddleia has a fairly long bloom season, and what about acanthus--fascinating looking with a sort of white, silver and purpley thing going on?
For those who want more background on 'moon gardening' here's a Suite 101 link with some ideas on how to get started...
http://flowergardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_white_garden
Can't wait to see more of your pics as your project moves along! Thanks for telling us about it! t.
Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Tabasco, I do like the web page info you gave.
Some of the plants suggested are already in the garden but some of the others I will have to get. Right now the moon garden is starting to flower and for the next month or so it will be in full bloom. I was thinking more in terms of blooms in May and June so it will be in bloom all season.
Here is a picture I just took of the Moon Garden.
Here is a picture of the white Cleomes and Vincas.
The Echinacea 'White Swan' have started to bloom.
I got this at the Round Up from Southern Ohio! I am not sure what it is.
The all white Rose of Sharon is now in bloom. I have another white rose of sharon that has wine colored inside.
White Balloon Flower
This is a Datura or Brugmansia called 'Freedom'. Supposedly it will bloom white but others tell me it is more peach in color. Nevertheless the variegated leaves add to the Moon Garden.
Someone gave me this and I believe it is a salvia or speedwell.
I also received this and I think it is obedient plant
I also have some white variagated tall grasses as well as some variegated hostas.
I have variegated lamium ground cover that blooms white flowers and I have some annual white geranium and spider plants
I also have white gayfeather, white buddleia or butterfly bush, oriental lilies, regular lilies and white irises that have either bloomed or are getting ready to bloom.
White Scabiosa is just now starting to bloom. sorry about the picture
This daylily is more creamy in color. I am told that there is no such thing as a truly white daylily. Boo Hoo!
This is a white hydrangea tree. It should start to bloom within the next couple of weeks. Under it is white Lespeedeza and it is quite a sight when it is in bloom. It will topple over the stone wall and it will be literally full of white flowers on the plant as well as all over the patio. it looks like there's a wedding going on.
And lastly (I wish I could put a few pictures together instead of one at a time) this is a white beautyberry tree. It has little white flowers and in the fall it looks beautiful with all the white berries on it.
In the moon garden I also have white daturas that bloom at night and the smell is heavenly.
I also have moon flower growing on the trellis but my husband pulled up the seedlings thinking they were weeds and also recently planted sweet autumn clematis to go on the other side of the trellis which my husband almost power washed away while cleaning the patio. I also have sedum 'Frosty Morn' which is not in bloom yet and also a white crape myrtle which I planted last year but looking at the buds it does not look like the blooms are going to be white. But as I said come April, May and June only a few flowers are in bloom.
Wow!
Just gorgeous!
I would suggest one more plant.
Salvia argentea. Beautiful silver foliage with white flowers.
Also, there are a few white DL. Check out this site: http://www.tranquil-lake.com/catalog/Color/white.htm
ROX
Hi Rox,
I did check that website for white daylilies but all the ones listed are near white, cream or ivory. The only one that said white also said it was tinged with yellow. Bill Rouse, who is a daylily hybridizer, said that a white daylily has not been produced yet. Hopefully it won't be long before one develops one. The ones I have in my moon garden claimed to be white but aren't.
I checked out the Salvia Argentea and I love it. Have put that on my list.
Southern Ohio, I have leucanthemum in the garden, they haven't done as well. I plan on expanding this white garden to the side surrounding the patio. That area is much bigger and will probably hold the leucanthemum much better.
Moonlit.. do you have any Dusty Millers? THey don't really bloom but the silvery foliage would last all spring aummber and fall
It looks beautiful. White always looks so pure anyhow. You have really worked hard on it... I hope you are enjoying it as much...LLOL
If you need leucanthemum, let me know. I have plenty. Two types. Common daisy [chysanthemum leucanthemum?] and chrysanthemum x superba.
I agree about the dusty miller, but guess what? Mine is blooming (after 3 years)! Lots of flowers (yellow, which you could cut off).
I can also get the salvia argentea.
Would you have anything to trade?
Another suggestion, but it is short blooming, is valerian. It smells heavenly.
Hi Rox,
I do have some daisies planted in there but they haven't come up yet unless the deer has gotten them. I have never been fond of Dusty Miller, I don't like the way it matures.
I can trade anything. Unfortunately I don't have a list of everything I have but if you go to my website, you can see pictures of my plants. I really need to divide a lot of perennials, too. Hopefully for next round up, I can bring more things. If you want anything that you see I have, let me know, I would be more than happy to share. After all that's what gardeners do. : )
http://community.webshots.com/user/gardenbrat
Oh my. What a delight! I LOVED the garden sculpture (potsie, frog, penny bowling ball). What fun.
The daisies should be up. It could be the deer or root rot. If you need more, let me know and I will bring some to the RU.
When is the next RU? Where: Columbus, other?
The other day's storm toppled my topiary lady gardener down. I really did not have her anchored too well. I think I am just going to get rid of her. Everything else survived the storm.
As for the next round up, I don't know. I guess it will be in the Spring. I did have a great time at the last one.
Yes, you have a fabulous array of white summer bloomers!
For May and June bloom, then, you could try the allium 'nigrum', ornithalgolum magnum, camassia plena, and the clematis, I suppose. Late white tulips? And you probably have white flowering shrubs, magnolias, and the like...
Maybe the hardy geranium 'splish splash', I noticed mine bloomed almost completely white this year--very few little stripes of blue-lavender.
I don't know, I think you already have it about covered!
Your pictures are lovely. I can't wait to see it next year!
At this time of year the moon garden looks good and full. But it's the rest of the time that I need white flowers. The annuals I planted this year helped a lot but I still need some April and May flowering plants.
I placed an order for a whole bunch of white alliums, white dafodils and white tulips (Oh Deer!) I think that may help the void in April and May. I think I may get a Japanese Tree Lilac as well as some white criniums or cape lilies. I would love a white rose but frankly I am tired of taking care of roses. Too much trouble! If only there was a white knockout rose!
Look what showed up in the moon Garden! An Imposter!
